


The Potion

by itskitsworld



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:48:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28339485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itskitsworld/pseuds/itskitsworld
Summary: Vi is once again called to the candles by her instructor Lord Uludan, but this time something is off.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	The Potion

Vi had been called once more to the candles. She had not been asked to prepare offensive spells, so hopefully this wasn’t another spar. She fiddles with the stone necklace around her neck, looking at it for a few moments before tucking it back into her shirt. She’d be fine, no need to worry them all over just a regular summons. She’ll use it if she was going to be gone for anything more than a night, but hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. She hadn’t even seen Eric in a few days, so no reason to think it had anything to do with him. She realizes this is quite likely to discuss that she lost her most recent spar with Col, but she had honestly tried her best and he would understand that.  
Vi arrives at the door, exactly on time, and takes off her jacket. She greets Barret with a smile, which he tightly returns. Yes, it was likely about the spar, she hasn’t done anything else Lord Uludan had any chance of learning about, that would upset him like this. At the very least she had an explanation for why she had lost. Vi was not built for fighting, and the fact it had been so close, even with the fog, really, she had done great. Or at least that’s what she was telling herself and would say to Lord Uludan. This was okay. She could do this.

“Am I to wait here or where should I go?” She asks Barret, picking up her satchel once more.

“In the study, Miss Violet.” He nods to her, gesturing for her to move forward in the house. Definitely a discussion, not training.

Vi nods, and makes her way into the house, feet tracing the familiar path to the study. It was filled with books, of all kinds. Some arcane, some history. Most had something to do with politics though. This was Lord Uludan’s personal library, it contained no books that would be too risky or illegal, just in case someone got too curious while they were in here. No, those books were stored elsewhere, though a few less of them now, she thinks to herself, a small grin coming across her face. It had been surprisingly easy to fool them. A lot harder to locate the books she had wanted but she had managed to find three at least. Either way, she was quite pleased with herself. If she’d been caught she might have assumed this meeting would be about that, but given how Lord Uludan had reacted to others things like that over the years, he’d be proud. Lord Uludan never got mad if she managed to get away with bending the rules to how she wanted, as long as it didn’t come back to bite them in the ass.

After a moment of wandering the room, she sat in the chair she normally sat in, the small brown rocking chair on the other side of the small table as the larger, more ornate and comfortable chair. Others times, this had been her favourite room in her house, but now, she felt a sense of unease. She waited for him, her fingers tapping on the arms of the chair, until the door creaked open. Vi quickly stood, smoothing the skirt of her dress, placing a smile on her face. She waited as he entered the room and sat himself before she returned to her seat.

“Hello, Violet.” He says after a moment, motioning for Barret to close the door. “I’ve heard you’ve been rather busy.” He says, his eyes cold.

This was not a look that she saw often and she could immediately feel the blood pumping in her head. _Damage control._ She thinks. Do what you can right now to smooth things over and fly under the radar for a while until they’ve forgotten about it. For Uludan, Vi has discovered it’s about two weeks.

“A bit sir. Classes certainly keep me busy, but I’ve been spending most of my time in the library.” She says quickly. It wasn’t a lie, Lord Uludan could somehow almost always tell when she was lying, which is why she tried to stick as close to the truth as possible.

“And the rest, it seems, at the dance hall, with your _friends_.” He tilts his head, inspecting her reaction to this knowledge.  
She knew that he knew it was no longer just a pastime, that she couldn’t claim that anymore. “Yes sir.” She replies, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“Dear Violet, what have I tried to teach you all these years?” He sighs, face twisting to a false sense of concern. She could tell now, that it was false, she’s seen the real thing.

“Connections are weaknesses.” She replies in a quiet voice.

“Yes, Violet. Now you’re a smart girl, you can understand why this will be an issue. You are not only distracting yourself from your recovery, you’re impeding their progress as well, those that are also in this program. I can understand why you would gravitate towards some of them, a sense of camaraderie in your actions on behalf of the Assembly. However, I’m afraid it’s just unacceptable.” He sets his gaze in her, following her eyes as she tries to move them away. “Luckily, I’ve decided on a solution that should work best for everyone.” He leans back in his chair slightly. Smart girl. Best for everyone. Her eyes unfocus while staring off in front of her, the anxiety building in her chest. She should have said something to someone, but it was too late now. “May I ask what the solution is, Lord Uludan?” She asks, somehow managing to choke out the words in a completely normal fashion, her hands gripping the handles of the chair.

“Well, I know I can’t very well ask you to just stop seeing your friends. You’re just a girl after all, friends tend to be important for people your age, though I had hoped you were special in that sense. But this may help knock out two birds with one stone, as they say.”

She didn’t understand, but it was likely because his words are ringing in her ear. Her ears burned, this time accompanied by a truly sinking feeling in her stomach.

“Your troubles began with the Zeko mission. I believe that is the root of the issues and all the troubles since. You’d never been a problem child, Violet, and it would be a pity for you to start now.” He says, standing from his seat. He moves to one of the book shelves, to one book in particular. He reaches though the illusion that had been placed there, hiding in plain sight, and brings out a potion, bright red in a way she might have mistaken it for a health potion, but it was clear just by the way he was holding it that that was not the case. He turns back to her with a terrible smile.

“Trust me, dear, we’re going to get you all right again.” He mutters an arcane word and manacles erupt from the rocking chair and around her wrists. Immediately out of fear she tries to pull them out, unsuccessful in everything but tearing the skin on her wrists.

Lord Uludan steps towards her. “Fear not my child, this potion has shown great results in the tests we have performed. Complete memory alteration, all the bad ones get trapped in this nice little bottle.” He smiles down at her, hand reaching down to gently move her chin to their eyes meet.

“Don’t worry, Violet, this is all for the best. I won’t change anything that isn’t relevant to our work here. Just these pesky last few months. You’ll be back to normal in no time.”

His smile was tight, as his hand gripped her tighter and he brought the bottle to her lips. “Drink up.”


End file.
